At the present time, automotive liner panels such as headliners are secured in the vehicle by means of clips, adhesive, moldings and the like which attach the panel directly to the frame or roof structure of the vehicle.
In accordance with the present invention, a liner and retainer assembly is provided which comprises a liner panel, a retainer on the back side of the panel which normally faces the frame structure of the vehicle, and one or more accessory components such as a sunshade or the like, on the exposed, finish side of the panel. The accessory components are secured to the retainer by conventional fasteners such as screws, clips, etc. extending through the panel. The panel, retainer and accessory component or components provide a sandwich assembly which is capable of being installed as a unit in the vehicle. The retainer is secured to the frame structure of the vehicle by fasteners preferably of the push button type, such as Christmas tree fasteners, which resist withdrawal after having been inserted in a hole.
More particularly, the retainer is a bar which extends along one edge portion of the liner panel.
Additional components may also be secured to the liner panel. In the case of a headliner, an assist strap is one such additional component. The assist strap may be applied to the finish side of the headliner and secured to a separate retainer on the back side of the headliner by fastener means extending through the headliner.
It is a general object of this invention to provide a liner and retainer assembly having the characteristics described above and which is an improvement over the liner panel systems disclosed in the following U. S. Pat. Nos:
______________________________________ 3,635,519 Foster, et al 3,876,246 Lutz 4,352,522 Miller 4,423,902 Yaotani, et al 4,461,509 Yaotani, et al 4,610,478 Tervol 4,728,383 Kaller, et al ______________________________________
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when considered with the accompanying drawings.